People group profile · PG033492
The Ogiek of Kenya
The Ogiek of Kenya, numbering about 113,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are one of East Africa's last hunter-gatherer peoples, whose name means caretaker of all plants and animals, sustained by beekeeping and foraging in Kenya's Mau Forest until a 2017 court ruling recognized their land rights after decades of eviction attempts.
They are an indigenous people in the Khoisan people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Kikuyu.
Fast facts
- Country
- Kenya
- Population
- 113,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Khoisan
- Primary language
- Kikuyu (kik)
- Primary religion
- Animism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Pioneer Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
- Location
- Nakuru county: east Mau escarpment. Mau forest between Amala and Ewas Ng’iro rivers near Nosogami stream (Sogoo dialect)
Where they live
Gospel status
The Ogiek are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Ogiek
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Animism · Ethnoreligion
97% adherents
Primary language
Kikuyu · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Kikuyu
Gospel resources in Kikuyu
- Bible available, published 2013
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kikuyu)
Bibles
- 1965 Bible Society of Kenya · video, audio
- Bible Society of Kenya · audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Ogiek
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
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